Anti-reflection films having wavelength-level fine rugged shapes on the surface and intended for use in displays, solar cells and optical elements have been developed in recent years as alternatives to conventional anti-reflection films that rely on interference. Through formation, on the anti-reflection film, of rugged shapes such that the volume occupied by the shapes increases from an air interface side towards a base material side, an effect is elicited on incident light, as though the refractive index of the film increased gradually from 1, which is the refractive index of air, up to the refractive index of the base material. Reflection at the interface, caused by dissimilar refractive indices, can thus be suppressed. The manufacture of such anti-reflection films is more complex than that of conventional anti-reflection films that rely on interference. However, anti-reflection films having such rugged shapes are advantageous in that they boast a better angle characteristic, and allow realizing lower reflectivity over a wider wavelength band than interference-based anti-reflection films. A known method (Patent Literature 1) for manufacturing an anti-reflection film having such rugged shapes involves, for instance, filling a mold having periodic rugged shapes with a curable resin composition or a thermoplastic resin in a molten state, and curing then the resin, followed by demolding.
Patent Literature 2 discloses an anti-reflection stack that comprises a light-transmissive base material and an anti-reflection layer, having a month-eye structure, on the light-transmissive base material.